slight.
“I’ll have to make sure Jacob doesn’t
have anything planned for the evening. We’re going on a drive during the day,
but should be back in plenty of time.”
Craig didn’t know who was more anxious
for the upcoming gathering, Marisol or himself.
Time crawled until that day. He threw
himself into his work, despite having hired two more ranch hands. He made a
trip over to Emerald Ranch the day after the Penney’s departed, to assess what
needed to be done to restore the place to what it had once been. He planned,
when Quinn was over, to give her an offer for the place. There was a fair bit
of work to be done and she’d be responsible for it in return for a low price,
if she wanted to lease it, as opposed to becoming manager.
With the idea of keeping this business,
Craig thought he could get through the night more easily.
Chapter 8
“I’m not going out with you.” Quinn
pushed past Robby on her way out of the barn. Her mouth was as dry as the dust
that covered her from head to foot. All she wanted was a shower and Robby kept
her from that goal. That, in and of itself, gave her enough reason to sock him
one.
“Come on. One evening, that’s all I’m
asking. A movie, some pizza. I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
“Not tonight.” Not any night, if she
could help it. She wanted nothing to do with him romantically and he wasn’t
getting that through his thick skull. “I’ve got plans.”
Robby hurried to keep up. “Plans? With
who? You have a date?” A hint of accusation tainted his voice and Quinn didn’t
like it.
“Yeah, I have a date. A hot date with
four ten-year-old girls. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m sure they don’t want me
smelling like dirt and horse.”
“What are you talking about? What
girls?”
Quinn stopped short and turned on him.
“I’m giving your brother a hand with Marisol’s slumber party.”
Robby’s upper lip curled in disgust.
“Seriously? Why does he need your help?”
Quinn sighed. She didn’t owe him an
explanation. “Marisol asked me.”
“Yeah, right. What’s going on between
you and Craig?”
A cold fist plunged into her belly. Did
Craig say something? Did Robby see the kiss? No, if he’d seen it, he would’ve
said something when it had happened. “Nothing is going on.”
“You sure spend a lot of time over
there.” The charge in his tone was stronger now and his sea-blue eyes narrowed
as if he were trying to get inside her head. That was the last place she wanted
him.
“Teaching Marisol to ride,” she replied
through clenched teeth.
“And how does that relate to a slumber
party?”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Robby, drop it.
Last I checked I was an adult. Not even Jacob grills me like this. And since
you and I weren’t dating, you don’t have any right to question me about my
plans.”
“Fine, you’re busy tonight. How about
tomorrow night?”
“I’ll think about it,” she lied. She’d
say just about anything to get him off her back. “But don’t get your hopes up.
I’m not interested in revisiting what we used to have.”
“You’ve turned into one stubborn woman.”
Quinn smiled sweetly. “Why thank you.
That’s about the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
A lazy grin spread over his handsome
face. “If I didn’t think you’d hit me, I’d kiss you right here.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’d probably hit
you. Why don’t you go find someone else who’ll appreciate your charm? It’s
totally wasted on me.”
Before he could reply, Quinn moved past
him. She had to shower and pick up pizzas on the way to the Shady H.
Later, with a towel wrapped around her
wet hair, Quinn stood in front of the closet, agonizing over what to wear. The
realist told her to grab a pair of jeans and a baseball shirt but the girly
girl, who’d been blessedly absent for years, returned and urged her to wear the
feminine cream capris and the sunset colored halter top. That would knock Craig
right on his
“I’ll have to make sure Jacob doesn’t
have anything planned for the evening. We’re going on a drive during the day,
but should be back in plenty of time.”
Craig didn’t know who was more anxious
for the upcoming gathering, Marisol or himself.
Time crawled until that day. He threw
himself into his work, despite having hired two more ranch hands. He made a
trip over to Emerald Ranch the day after the Penney’s departed, to assess what
needed to be done to restore the place to what it had once been. He planned,
when Quinn was over, to give her an offer for the place. There was a fair bit
of work to be done and she’d be responsible for it in return for a low price,
if she wanted to lease it, as opposed to becoming manager.
With the idea of keeping this business,
Craig thought he could get through the night more easily.
Chapter 8
“I’m not going out with you.” Quinn
pushed past Robby on her way out of the barn. Her mouth was as dry as the dust
that covered her from head to foot. All she wanted was a shower and Robby kept
her from that goal. That, in and of itself, gave her enough reason to sock him
one.
“Come on. One evening, that’s all I’m
asking. A movie, some pizza. I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
“Not tonight.” Not any night, if she
could help it. She wanted nothing to do with him romantically and he wasn’t
getting that through his thick skull. “I’ve got plans.”
Robby hurried to keep up. “Plans? With
who? You have a date?” A hint of accusation tainted his voice and Quinn didn’t
like it.
“Yeah, I have a date. A hot date with
four ten-year-old girls. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m sure they don’t want me
smelling like dirt and horse.”
“What are you talking about? What
girls?”
Quinn stopped short and turned on him.
“I’m giving your brother a hand with Marisol’s slumber party.”
Robby’s upper lip curled in disgust.
“Seriously? Why does he need your help?”
Quinn sighed. She didn’t owe him an
explanation. “Marisol asked me.”
“Yeah, right. What’s going on between
you and Craig?”
A cold fist plunged into her belly. Did
Craig say something? Did Robby see the kiss? No, if he’d seen it, he would’ve
said something when it had happened. “Nothing is going on.”
“You sure spend a lot of time over
there.” The charge in his tone was stronger now and his sea-blue eyes narrowed
as if he were trying to get inside her head. That was the last place she wanted
him.
“Teaching Marisol to ride,” she replied
through clenched teeth.
“And how does that relate to a slumber
party?”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Robby, drop it.
Last I checked I was an adult. Not even Jacob grills me like this. And since
you and I weren’t dating, you don’t have any right to question me about my
plans.”
“Fine, you’re busy tonight. How about
tomorrow night?”
“I’ll think about it,” she lied. She’d
say just about anything to get him off her back. “But don’t get your hopes up.
I’m not interested in revisiting what we used to have.”
“You’ve turned into one stubborn woman.”
Quinn smiled sweetly. “Why thank you.
That’s about the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
A lazy grin spread over his handsome
face. “If I didn’t think you’d hit me, I’d kiss you right here.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’d probably hit
you. Why don’t you go find someone else who’ll appreciate your charm? It’s
totally wasted on me.”
Before he could reply, Quinn moved past
him. She had to shower and pick up pizzas on the way to the Shady H.
Later, with a towel wrapped around her
wet hair, Quinn stood in front of the closet, agonizing over what to wear. The
realist told her to grab a pair of jeans and a baseball shirt but the girly
girl, who’d been blessedly absent for years, returned and urged her to wear the
feminine cream capris and the sunset colored halter top. That would knock Craig
right on his
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